The Michigan Department of Transportation “tentatively” has agreed to give Muffler Man a right-of-way parallel to Corunna Road to move the parking spaces that would have been affected, said Bob Bernhoft, president of Muffler Man Supply.

The trail is slated to follow a former portion of Hoover Road, which was split in 1968 when it was abandoned by the county. Half of the right-of-way went to the former owner of the Muffler Man property and the other half went to the state as the owner of Interstate-75, officials have said.

The portion of the parking lot that would be removed is on the state right-of-way. Although the business had a permit to build on the land, the state reserved the right to have it removed later if need be, construction manager John Plamondon said previously.

“We don’t have anything in stone,” he said. “We’re waiting on the powers that be.”

Muffler Man hasn’t dropped the lawsuit yet, Bernhoft said.

Although construction on part of the trail was stalled, it continued elsewhere.

Ken Johnson, project development manager with the road commission said the trail is about 50 percent complete and is on track for an Oct. 20 completion date.

“As far as I can say right now, it should be on track for a normal closing of the project,” Johnson said.

The trail is ten feet wide with a two foot shoulder on each side, he said.

Once completed, the township hopes to have a ribbon cutting ceremony, said Supervisor Karyn Miller.

The trail was funded by about $950,000 in federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality money. The engineering costs — about $42,000 — are being funded by donations and other grants.

The trail runs from the Flint city limits, along Corunna Road, to the railroad right-of-way on the west side of Interstate 75. From there, it follows the right-of-way to Linden Road, where it will end at the Genesee Valley shopping center bus shelter, according to Flint Journal records.